Did you know that Niigata City is working to develop itself as a 'manga and anime city'? Having produced many famous manga artists and animators, Niigata is also a region where subcultural activities thrive.

In order to boost the city of Niigata, Niigata City is promoting the 'Manga/Anime Town' concept as a cultural promotion initiative. The official characters are Hanano Komachi and Sasa Dangoro, who were selected from among 477 entries in 2011.

In fact, they are not just characters and stuffed animals, they are also in an animation! Here is the second animation film that has now been released.

Part 1: "Furumachi and Dangoro - Find the Lagoon Stone! ~"

Part 2: "Furumachi and Dangoro - Catch the mysterious giant fish! ~"

Ohoh~! The city of Niigata is moving in various animated ways!

The arcade of Furumachi Gobancho. A statue of Abu can be seen quietly!

The Bandai Bridge, converted into a catapult by Furumachi and Dangoro from outer space. The buildings around the Shinano River are also a view that will ring a bell if you live in Niigata.

In the second part, a giant fish called "Sinassy" is found in the Shinano River. There is also a media ship at the back!

たぶん白根の凧合戦の凧たち。

This is how the local area was projected directly into the animation world. I think there are very few cases where the city of Niigata is used as a backdrop for such a long period of time. When you look at the town as a picture, it's a place you know, but you feel strange, like it looks different from usual.

I hope that this will continue to be a new challenge for Niigata in the future, and that it will be actively pursued.

Their efforts are updated on the Niigata City Manga Anime Information website, which you can check out if you are interested.

MangAnime Navi Niigata: http://www.manganime-niigata.jp/index.html